As the parent of a 6- and a 9-year-old, Jen Swanson has mastered the art of summer scheduling. Right after Christmas, she starts gathering camp and activity information and is ready to pounce the moment camp registration opens at the start of the year.

From sexting to cyberbullying to FOMO, social media sure has its share of negatives. But, if it's all bad, how did 2,000 students protest their school system's budget cuts? How are teens leading the charge against cyberbullying? How did they organize a national school walkout day to protest gun laws? Easy: savvy use of social media. For a few years now, many teens have been saying that social media – despite its flaws – is mostly positive. And new research is shedding light on the good things that can happen when kids connect, share, and learn online.

What kind of questions do you and your friends ask about Social Security? When do my benefits arrive? What are Social Security work credits, and do they have anything to do with the way my benefits are figured? Will I be automatically enrolled in Medicare? Read on to find the answers to these questions.

This week's circulars

Like early American pioneers, Richard and Carol Wygand felt the call to head west, to a strange land where they wouldn't know anyone but each other, where the weather would be stinging and colder than they'd ever known. It would be a risk. But earlier this year, they packed up their Wellington home, strapped their son Luke into his car seat, and set out on a long journey to Colorado to start a new life.

Nancy Delano, 80, of Denver has no plans to slow down anytime soon. She still drives to movies, plays and dinners out with friends. A retired elder care nurse who lives alone, she also knows that "when you reach a certain age, emergencies can happen fast." So, when her son, Tom Rogers, talked to her about installing a remote monitoring system, she didn't hesitate.

The tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School took place only 25 minutes away from my own school, David Posnack Jewish Day School. I am a student in my junior year, and have watched my community change in the past four weeks.

As important as it is to get kids up and outside, the fact is that we live in a high-tech world and it's critical that our children develop a high level of comfort will all things electronic. Here are a few of our new faves.

Several years ago, my young-adult son, newly relocated from our small Midwestern college town to the grit and grime of Washington, D.C., took me to task for putting too much value on love during his growing-up years.

Q: My fiance would like to invite his ex to our wedding. He feels his ex would like to see their children, ages 18 and 20, dressed up, and thinks it's appropriate that she attend, too. My fiance acts like this is standard practice and is upset that I don't want his ex near our wedding. End the argument, please. What's good ex-etiquette?

Dear Mr. Dad: I am 74 years old and handicapped. My 43-year-old daughter moved in to my house with her boyfriend and was supposed to help me with basic caregiving. But instead, the two of them have turned my house into a dump, destroying my furniture, damaging the walls, and more. I made the mistake of giving my daughter access to my checking account so she could help me with paying bills and, instead, she's stealing money from me. I think she may also have opened up some credit cards in my name. I've told them several times to leave, but every time I do, she either hits me or threatens to put me in a facility. I'm afraid and don't know what to do.

Parents of children who habitually lie can breathe a huge sigh of relief –The New York Times says that budding Pinocchios are more intelligent than kids who tell the truth ("Is Your Child Lying to You? That's Good," Alex Stone, January 5, 2018). The Grey Lady's announcement is based on studies done in the 1980s in which young children who disobeyed an instruction and then denied having disobeyed were discovered to have higher IQs than those who admitted disobedience. A subsequent study found that most adults cannot tell when children are lying, a finding that seems – on the surface, at least – to confirm the previous study.

Did you know that asparagus can grow up to 6 inches in just one day?! And while that is obviously super cool, kids might not yet understand the appeal of actually eating it. To help win them over, try these tasty ideas.